Valid Names Results

Tachardiella larreae (Comstock, 1882) (Tachardiidae (= Kerriidae): Tachardiella)

Nomenclatural History

• Carteria larreae Comstock 1882: 211. Type data: U.S.A. and MEXICO: specific locality not stated, but "South-western portions of the United States and Mexico, on Covillea glutinosa [=Larrea mexicana].. Syntypes, unknown, Type depository: Washington: United States National Entomological Collection, U.S. National Museum of Natural History, District of Columbia, USA; accepted valid name
• Tachardiella larreae (Comstock, 1882); MacGillivray 1921: 154. change of combination
• Lakshadia larreae (Comstock, 1882); Mahdihassan 1923: 53. change of combination
• Tachardiella (Tachardiella) larreae (Comstock, 1882); Chamberlin 1923: 177. change of combination
• Tachardiella (Tachardiella) larreae californica Chamberlin 1923: 179. Type data: U.S.A.: California, Shaver's Well, near Mecca, on Peucephyllum shotti, summer 1918, coll. G.F. Ferris. Syntypes, female and first instar, Type depository: Davis: The Bohart Museum of Entomology, University of California, California, USA; junior synonym (discovered by Ferris1955a, 223).
• Tachardiella larrea (Comstock, 1882); Colton 1944: 1. misspelling of species epithet
• Tachardiella larreae californica Chamberlin, 1923; Kapur 1958: 27. change of combination
• Tachardiella larrae (Comstock, 1882); Stacey, Heron & Sutton 1998: 53. misspelling of species epithet

Common Names

• American lac insect Colton1944

Ecological Associates

Hosts:

Families: 2 | Genera: 2

Foes:

Families: 2 | Genera: 2

Geographic Distribution

Keys

• Hodgso2020: pp.163 ( Adult (M) ) [Kerriidae]
• KondoGu2011: pp.347-350 ( Adult (F) ) [Key Based on Adult Females to Separate Species of the Family Kerriidae Known to Occur in the New World]

Remarks

• Systematics: Chamberlin’s taxon T. larreae forma californica was described from insects collected by G.F. Ferris on the shrub Peucephyllum schottii, commonly called pygmy-cedar, which has resinous foliage and apparently closely resembles the creosote bush. Ferris (1955) stated that forms have no nomenclatural standing and thus he placed Chamberlin’s ‘form’ in synonymy with T. larreae. However, according to Article 45.6.4 (International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1999), a name is to be treated as subspecific if first published before 1961 and its author expressly used either the term "variety" or "form", including the terms "var.", "v.", "forma" or "f." [the latter was used by Chamberlin (1923)]. Furthermore, the differences noted by Chamberlin might be sufficient to warrant species status for this ‘form’ Despite some variability in morphology, it seems that there may be two kinds of lac insect occurring on Larrea in the southwestern United States. (Kondo & Gullan, 2011)
• Structure: Tests of adult females aggregated but each test more-or-less globular in form, with tendency to be 6-lobed if isolated (Comstock 1882); resin dark grey-brown in color with tinges of crimson or orange to reddish-brown with tinges of orange (Gill 1993).
• Economic Importance: During the First and Second World Wars, the lac resin of T. larreae was studied to determine the feasibility of its use as a replacement for imported shellac of Kerria lacca (Kerr), which was in short supply (Ferris 1919, Colton 1943, 1944). It was concluded that it would be uneconomic to harvest the resin of T. larreae in sufficient quantity and that chemically the resin would not be suitable for the production of varnish. (Kondo & Gullan, 2011)
• General Remarks: Good description and illustration of the adult female given by Chamberlin (1923). Brief diagnosis of male in Hodgson, 2020.

Illustrations

Citations